cholesterol

New Research Shows that While Niacin Added to Statin Therapy Increases HDL Cholesterol Levels It Does Not Improve HDL Functionality
03/11/2013 - 10:16

While two large clinical trials recently showed that adding niacin to statin therapy failed to improve clinical outcomes despite a significant increase in HDL-C levels, little is known about exactly why the increased HDL-C levels did not reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attack and stroke.

 

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Immune cells keep cholesterol down
02/22/2013 - 10:41

Recent research at Karolinska Institutet describes how liver uptake of cholesterol from the blood is regulated by the immune system. These findings, which are published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, can explain how a certain type of immune cell prevents atherosclerosis.

 

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HDL cholesterol impaired in kidney disease
01/24/2013 - 10:52

Patients with end-stage renal disease on dialysis (ESRD-HD) are at high risk for cardiovascular disease – including heart attacks – and do not appear to benefit from cholesterol-lowering statin therapy.

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Vitamin D prevents clogged arteries in diabetics
11/13/2012 - 15:19

People with diabetes often develop clogged arteries that cause heart disease, and new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that low vitamin D levels are to blame. In a study published Nov. 9 in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, the researchers report that blood vessels are less like to clog in people with diabetes who get adequate vitamin D. But in patients with insufficient vitamin D, immune cells bind to blood vessels near the heart, then trap cholesterol to block those blood vessels.

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U.S. Hispanics at High Risk for Cardiovascular Disease
11/05/2012 - 17:00

Hispanics and Latinos living in the U.S. are highly likely to have several major cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and smoking, according to a new, large-scale study. Risks vary among the diverse Hispanic/Latino groups, but individuals who were born in the U.S. are more likely to have multiple risk factors.

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Canadian scientists discover cause of high cholesterol
10/28/2012 - 07:48

Canadian scientists have discovered that a protein called resistin, secreted by fat tissue, causes high levels of "bad" cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein or LDL), increasing the risk of heart disease.

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